Jan 1, 2020 | Event, Featured, Grassroots, Initiatives, Member Profile, Members, News
ALREADY KNOW YOU WILL BE HERE? CLICK HERE TO RSVP!
General Membership Meeting
Saturday, February 22, 2020
8:30 AM – 11:30 AM!
Breakfast served. Childcare available.
At the PFT! 10 South 19 Street, Pittsburgh PA 15203
BE HERE to get INSIDE SCOOP you won’t get ANYWHERE else!
(Not in the Notes or PFT News)
- PFT Contract Negotiations Update
- Grievance Proceedings Update
- Member Pledge to Vote & Mobilize
- 2020 Primary Election Survey
PFT ELECTION YEAR! NATIONAL ELECTION YEAR! CENSUS YEAR!
FEATURING: PFT Attorney Noah Jordan
“Weingarten Rights: What you REALLY need to know!”
ALL THIS includes a tasty catered breakfast! 50/50 Raffle! RSVP Raffle! Childcare available! Plus an optional “Painting with a Twist” member social event nearby shortly after our meeting adjourns!
Doors open at 8:00 AM.
Click this link to RSVP on-line, or call 412.431.5900.
Dec 8, 2019 | Initiatives, News
Back By Popular Demand—AFT/PFT Student Debt Clinic!
We will be offering A FREE Student Debt Clinic at 4:30 PM on Thursday, January 30th at the PFT—but space is limited to the first 100 who register!
Dozens upon dozens of PFT members have taken advantage of this FREE debt clinic in the past—and now it’s your turn! Here’s why!
Over 44 million people in the United States are struggling to make their monthly student loan payments, and millions more see economic and personal opportunities pass as they prioritize paying down their debt.
Many of these people may qualify for free federal programs that can help reduce their monthly payments and eventually lead to student loan forgiveness, but these lifeline programs are significantly under-enrolled.
In an effort to help our members get access to these programs, your PFT and the American Federation of Teachers are proud to host a Student Debt Clinic which will provide information on how to enroll in Income-Driven Repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
To attend the Student Debt Clinic you must pre-register while seats are available. It’s easy!
1. Register on-line—cut and paste this link into your browser:
https://aft.knack.com/member-mobilization-tracker/#register-for-debt-clinic/
2. Complete ALL information and choose “PENNSYLVANIA: Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers 4:30 pm 01/30/2020” from the “Student Debt Clinic” drop down field beneath the word SELECT.
3. In the AFFILIATE field, simply begin to type in the full name of our local: “Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers 400”…. and the field will auto-fill for you.
4. Complete the questions on the form and click SUBMIT at the bottom. All answers remain confidential and are used to tailor the presentation to best respond to the needs identified in the survey.
REMEMBER: Registration is first come, first serve, and we must cap attendance for a single clinic at 100 participants to ensure we are able to provide maximum assistance to attendees.
Managing your student loan debt is the first step in taking on the inequities which plague our system of higher education, and we look forward to seeing you at the Student Debt Clinic on January 30th, 4:30 PM at the PFT.
Let’s work together to find a collective solution to the problems of student debt and college affordability! Any questions? Please call Chris George at 412-431-5900 or reply to chris_george@pft400.org.
Nov 8, 2019 | Grassroots, Initiatives
There’s nothing like a good book as fall turns to winter, and the African American Teacher Mentoring Program is inviting all PFT members to read and discuss Christopher Emdin’s “For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood … and the Rest of Y’all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education” on select Wednesday evenings in November and December.
The first two chapters are due to be read by Wednesday, November 13th—but if you can’t catch up just yet, please join us for our initial discussion anyway!
Join us at the PFT or call in via conference call number—complete details can be found here!
Nov 8, 2019 | Event, Featured, Grassroots, Initiatives, Member Profile, Members, News, Retirees
You can always count on PFT
members to be generous and to reach out to others who need help!
As
another successful PFT/ACLC Stuff the Bus comes to an end—just look how great
the PFT lobby looks before PFT staff loads up to take all of these beautiful
toys over to the Allegheny County Labor Council meeting tonight to STUFF THAT BUS and help
the families of union members in need!
On behalf of Darrin Kelly, the
Executive Board of the ACLC and all our union brothers and sisters—thank you
for your generosity, kindness and endless giving PFT spirit. I always expect
nothing less!
Oct 3, 2019 | Grassroots, Initiatives, Members, News
Several members have asked for a protocol on water emergencies in our District and city for the rare occasion they are needed, like the sudden South Hills water main break that crippled water supplies on Friday September 20th.
Our great friend and General Foreman for the District, Ed Reinhart walked us through the steps the District takes when deciding to close a school(s) or remain open. Ed reported that:
- If a school/schools has NO water before the start of the school day, they make the decision based on the size of the school and the number of schools that are affected.
If it is a small or smaller school and/or a manageable number that drinking water can be drayed into and water can be taken or drawn from to flush the toilets—then school is on.
- If water is lost DURING the school day, the District also has to consider the time of day (how much of the school day is left), available water for drinking and flushing, size of the school/schools. Whenever possible the choice is to keep the students in school—particularly our younger students who may have no one to go home to.
- In that emergency situation on Friday, September 20th—a close was really the only way to go. Seven schools lost water before the opening of school—and then it quickly became ten. This obviously would have been far too many to provide drinking water for.
- At least one school lost water after the school day started, so the District moved to the protocol of providing bottled water to the elementary students and emptying a boiler to flush toilets. Some parents did choose to pick up their students, but remember, the first choice will be to keep students in school—particularly younger students who may have no one at home to receive them.
- Ed was confused when I reported that one member said that some high school teachers received confusing reports on whether or not their school was open or closed. He said that the media was alerted as soon as the close was determined and there was no waffling on it.
Now as for make-up time in those schools—of course the day will have to be made up, but some have also0 asked … “what about if you were at school already?”
Just like a late call on a snow day (even though this was not a late call), I hope that you signed in at the office.
Talk to your principal about what you can do about being compensated for that time. Contact us if you have any additional questions.
Sep 30, 2019 | Grassroots, Initiatives, News
Let’s show our solidarity and the desire for quick contract negotiations with a SEA OF BLUE to kick off October!!! Get that blue t-shirt out (or your favorite blue shirt, dress, blazer, tie or entire outfit) and wear it proudly on Tuesday, October 1!
Get your staff together for a Bluesday Team Picture and send it to our Communications Director, Dan Evans, so we can share them in the Tuesday Blast, in next week’s Notes, and on our new and improved website!
